"Dux Frigium?"
Mumbling the title Cerydra had just bestowed upon her, Esdeath felt there was nothing wrong with it, even if it sounded a bit strange.
At this point, Esdeath was ultimately just a child. Although she possessed good awareness and wisdom, she had not yet ventured beyond her own tribe and had almost never left this snowy land; her knowledge of the outside world was very limited.
"The noble lords of the Imperial Capital all seem to have their own titles. I never thought I would be knighted one day..."
Esdeath felt a bit emotional; just minutes ago, she was merely a survivor of a destroyed tribe, but now she had suddenly become the 'Dux Frigium.'
Since she could grant titles to others so easily, the identity of this girl who was even younger than her couldn't be simple, right?
Regardless, she was now her superior, and there would surely be more things to rely on her for in the future.
However, once she moved her gaze away from Cerydra, Esdeath quickly looked at the woman nearby who was older than her, her eyes filled with seventy percent curiosity and thirty percent... scrutiny?
"Who is she?"
Esdeath had always followed the law of the jungle, and this reached an extreme after her father's death.
Since Cerydra had defeated her with absolute strength, it was only natural for her to become Esdeath's superior; she couldn't possibly have any objections.
But that didn't apply to anyone else!
Esdeath had accepted Cerydra's status, so Cerydra was the one she followed—at least for now.
But what about that black-haired woman?
Who was she?
Esdeath cared about this very much!
If she were just an ordinary soldier or maid, Esdeath naturally wouldn't pay her much mind. But if she were a member with combat capabilities like herself, then the meaning was different.
Esdeath had to compete with her to prove who was the strongest under Cerydra.
Cerydra didn't quite understand what Esdeath meant, so she said directly: "'Daughter of the Sea' Hysilens, my first knight."
"Knight? Meaning someone with combat capabilities, right?"
"Of course, all the Danger Beasts here were handled by her. Why, do you plan to spar with her?"
Upon hearing that Hysilens possessed combat capabilities, the battle intent in Esdeath's eyes was instantly ignited. Cerydra had clearly seen this, which was why she said it.
"Is it okay?"
In Esdeath's view, if she and Hysilens were to spar, Hysilens's own opinion didn't actually matter; what mattered was Cerydra's opinion.
Because for both of them, Cerydra was the superior; whatever they did had to be with Cerydra's consent.
"Of course! Remember to show mercy; don't be too rough."
"I understand."
Since Esdeath was willing, Cerydra didn't intend to refuse. Even if Esdeath hadn't spoken up, she would have found a way to let Hysilens duel her to temper her temperament.
Cerydra also wanted this budding young girl to realize the truth that there is always someone better.
Looking at Esdeath standing opposite Hysilens, the petite Empress thought to herself: "'Show mercy'... those words weren't meant for you, Esdeath!"
—
"Hysilens... right?"
Stretching her body slightly, Esdeath asked for her name while also beginning to prepare for the upcoming battle.
"That's right, Dux Frigium..." Hysilens looked very serious, her twin swords already prepared. "By the looks of it, you're here to challenge my status, right?"
"Of course!"
Just as Cerydra had made no secret of her intention to kill Esdeath earlier, Esdeath similarly had no intention of hiding her thoughts and expressed them frankly.
"Since I'm to be someone's blade, I must be the sharpest!"
Although she accepted the law of the jungle, who would actively seek death unless it was absolutely necessary? If Esdeath hadn't made the right choice, she probably would have been killed by Caesar by now.
Unknowingly, Esdeath's desire for strength grew stronger and stronger, which was why she sought out Hysilens.
She had just heard Cerydra say that Hysilens seemed to have handled that group of Danger Beasts very easily?
Coincidentally, she, Esdeath, could do that too!
It was necessary to decide between the two of them who was the sharpest sword under Caesar; at least on this point, Esdeath would absolutely not back down.
"In that case, I will follow Caesar's will."
Even though it was just a boring provocation, Hysilens could see through it at a glance, yet this provocation happened to work.
Hysilens didn't know why, but she felt she absolutely could not lose to her, even if her strength was far superior.
In contrast, Cerydra, watching from a distance after casting aside those redundant thoughts, clearly saw things more clearly.
The moment she heard Esdeath intended to challenge her, Hysilens's body began to act unnaturally. Almost every cell in her body began to tremble, telling her: You absolutely cannot lose!
This abnormal state immediately made Hysilens anxious. She truly didn't know why her body would become like this. Could it be that this was Hysilens's loyalty to Caesar engraved deep within her body?
Regardless, in this state, Hysilens would surely accept Esdeath's challenge, and she couldn't afford to lose no matter what, otherwise she didn't know what the consequences would be.
But even so, Hysilens would still follow Caesar's orders, because the strength of the person before her was simply too weak!
A few minutes later.
The blue-haired girl was lying in the snow at some point, her entire body devoid of strength, unable to move an inch, left only to taste the snow.
And right on her back, a delicate foot was pressed firmly against Esdeath's lower back, the pressure even continuing to increase.
"This way, it should count as my win... any objections, Dux Frigium?"
There was no suspense in this battle. How could the young Esdeath, who had not yet grown up, be a match for the Demigod of the Ocean?
In just about half a minute, Esdeath had been disarmed, and her entire body had fallen into a state where she couldn't move; even her mind had become groggy, as if it would explode the next second.
"No objections."
Esdeath's voice echoed in this empty area. Although her tone was very weak, one could hear that she was forcing herself to hold on.
She was truly crushed today. She never expected that in such a short time, she would be defeated by two people in a row.
"I will remember this..."
"When I get the chance in the future, I will continue to challenge you!"